81 F100 flare side custom with 300 six & T18

Gary Lewis wrote

The relays should make a big difference on the amount of light awa peace of mind that the wiring nor switch will burn up.  Let us know how much diff you see.

On the fogs, did you go with oversized holes in the brackets?  Or what was the plan?

On the head lights I have not had the truck out since just before Xmas so when I get it out at night I may not remember  what they were like other than I know they were too low and I just gave 3 or 4 turns of the screw driver.

On the fog / driving lights I have not really looked into it.
Almost got the creeper out today but if I tried to do any adjusting I would not be able to tell much as it was day light out and why the creeper stayed where it was

But I think I may have to break out the Dremel to make the slots a little bigger to get more adjustment.
Maybe this week I will look into it as we have 1 night we all will be up late so I can test everything
When I do I will for sure post what I had to do.
Dave ----

I took the truck to work Tuesday and got to say don't know why I waited so long to do the head light relay upgrade. On low is like running with the high beams on, love it.

I plan on taking the truck to work the rest of the week just to run it but want to use the gas up in the front tank to see what MPG I am getting now that is the only tank I have run. I will then fill the rear tank and hope it don't leak after pulling the sender to fix the float and hope the gauge works again.

And for them that  don't believe I will use the truck, I filled it with cardboard I will take to work.



Only took me an hour to change my avatar! and I am not happy with it.
I could not get the sizing, cropping right and look good. At least it is of the full truck now as all I was getting was the front or back half
It was to look like this


The cardboard came from the house garage when I pulled the street Javelin out so the pick up could go in.

And this is the Javelin that went into my garage as the next project.

I will be checking in from time to time to keep up on things and will be looking for a 5sp transmission for the truck as that will be the next big thing on the list for it.
Dave ----

Lookin good there Dave! By the way, I always liked the Javelns and AMC's. I've always had a love for "orphan" cars like those AMC's and Studebakers just to name a couple of them.

Frank Wyatt wrote

Lookin good there Dave! By the way, I always liked the Javelns and AMC's. I've always had a love for "orphan" cars like those AMC's and Studebakers just to name a couple of them.

Thanks
I also go for the orphan's & under dog's.
That one is my street Javelin I also have another I built as a 1/4 mile drag car 360 AMC power, then have a 75 factory v8 / auto Gremlin. I was bit hard by the AMC bug LOL.
Dave ----

Well took the truck to work and dumped the cardboard but had to fill up to get home.

Front tank took just under 10 gallons and I went 122 miles came out to 12.6 MPG
I got to say the truck runs great, 1 pump of the pedal and tap the key and it is running. Even warm just tap the key and it  starts. I am going to enjoy it the way it is for now.

Also filled the rear tank and so far it's not leaking and the gauge is working ....but.... there is always a BUT!
I cant fill it with any speed like I was before. I was afraid when moving the tank but not the filler hose I might have caused an issue and it looks like I did
Dave ----

Guess you can’t move on to the Spear quite yet. 😎

Besides, you have to do door panels and handle gaskets first.

Gary Lewis wrote

Guess you can’t move on to the Spear quite yet. 😎

Besides, you have to do door panels and handle gaskets first.

Well if I get the Javelin running like it did before it was parked for 4 years I should be able to move when ever I need to. I am pretty sure it was not running too good because of the bad gas.
I had stableizer in it and I know it is older than 5 years. I also know there cant be a lot left in the tank as I only dump 5 gallons in at a time just to move it.

On the gaskets I know you said you where going to send them, did you?
I have not seen anything come yet and if they were sent hope the wife did not throw them out thinking junk mail
Dave ----

Bad gas will do it.  Hope it it that easy.

Gaskets went out on Monday, so shouldn't be there yet.  Just a small manila envelope.

I took the weekend off from working on anything and held down my chair and surfed the forums.

In my travels I may have come across a NP435 transmission for a little more money than a rebuild kit for my T18.
The seller is checking a few things I need to know to make sure it will fit my truck.
It came out of a 86 4x2 LB with a 300 six but from the pictures it looks like it will be a bolt in other than maybe the drive shaft.

I know I was looking for a 5sp but cant pass up this as mine needs to be rebuilt or replaced.
The NP435 has a lower 2nd gear ratio than my T18 and you drive both as a 3sp transmission and I still have a granny low for getting loads moving.

I can also go with a Advance Adaptors range splitter for over drive if I want.
Have to see once I get the trans but still have an eye open for that 5sp.
Dave ----

The NP435 is one tough tranny, and with that 6.69 1st gear you can get a mountain moving.  Don't think you can go wrong.

I would take that NP435 over the T18 all day long. Excellent upgrade.

Angelo Voltura wrote

I would take that NP435 over the T18 all day long. Excellent upgrade.

Just waiting on the seller to give me the final OK on parts & price and address of where I am heading to pick it up this weekend.

If his profile is good I have about a 6+ hour drive 1 way.
The wife is coming for the ride and on the way back we will stop over night then next day stopping off at Myrtle Beach SC to see friends for a few hours before the final leg home.

I got a head cold the last few days and last night when ever I laid down for bed I had a coughing fit so slept in my recliner on and off. 1 of my up times I checked on the Ebay order of the clock for the truck.
Said it was in the mail box so at 3am out I go and sure enough there it was.
Have not opened it yet but when I go to install being I will have the dash some what apart I want to look into under dash lighting and see about installing something as I have no light inside the cab at all.

Between the transmission and the clock / dash lights the project is not done yet
Dave ----

I seem to remember my 1982 under dash light wiring setup being a little different than the 86 setup I pulled for my current truck, but they were still basically the same. The harness for the under dash lights runs along the top of the dash, and was separate from the main wiring harness.

salans7 wrote

I seem to remember my 1982 under dash light wiring setup being a little different than the 86 setup I pulled for my current truck, but they were still basically the same. The harness for the under dash lights runs along the top of the dash, and was separate from the main wiring harness.

That is where I hear it is and maybe should have thought of this before putting the dash pad on
I hope to find the plug up around where the clock plugs in.
Also some of the wiring I seen posted shows the same wires doing both the clock & under dash lights?

I just need to find door on / off power as I plan to run different lights or a maybe a LED strip or rope lighting, just need something. I will know the light(s) when I see them type of thing
Dave ----

Yep, the light group harness also includes the clock wiring. If I remember correctly, it then splits into two harnesses, one for the clock, and one for the under dash lights.

I don't have the split harness, the clock comes with a pin out of the wires on it and I am sure once I find the plug on the truck I can make my own harness.
Heck I had to figure out the wiring for the HVAC & Radio and they were cut when they removed the radio and HVAC control.
Dave ----

If you need any pictures of the harnesses let me know, my dash pad isn't screwed down so I can pull it off pretty easily (it's in poor shape so no risk of damage). My 12/79 truck had the connectors on the main dash bar behind the HVAC controls, so I'm sure yours does too.
 

Angelo Voltura wrote

I would take that NP435 over the T18 all day long. Excellent upgrade.

Interesting that I have heard several guys say they vastly prefer the NP435... what is better about it?

I drove one (briefly) in my dad’s ‘68 F250 and finding 3rd gear was about like picking a lock with a bobby pin 😖. We removed it and put in the T18 out of his rust cancer ‘66 F100. It was still a bit notchy but much easier to manage once you were acquainted with it.

Anything worn and abused will be that way, I’m just curious why the fondness for the New Process gear box?

Ford F834 wrote

Angelo Voltura wrote

I would take that NP435 over the T18 all day long. Excellent upgrade.

Interesting that I have heard several guys say they vastly prefer the NP435... what is better about it?

I drove one (briefly) in my dad’s ‘68 F250 and finding 3rd gear was about like picking a lock with a bobby pin 😖. We removed it and put in the T18 out of his rust cancer ‘66 F100. It was still a bit notchy but much easier to manage once you were acquainted with it.

Anything worn and abused will be that way, I’m just curious why the fondness for the New Process gear box?

That is how my 4th gear is and when down shifting from 4th to 3rd it grinds if going to fast even double clutching.
The NP, T18 & T19 will all shift "notchy" but should not need a bobby pin to find a gear LOL

What I think on the NP435 is it has lower gear ratios than the other T's.
Granny is lower and when used for off roading and low range is great for crawing over things.
2nd gear is also lower and being you drive all 3 like a 3 speed transmission makes for easier starts from a stop, at least I hope so in my case.

I would have been happy with any of the 3 or better a ZF, found one close but was for a newer truck and no way to hook up our cable speedo, as long as it shifts like it should.
The price was right $200 for the 1988 NP435 trany  w/bell housing, hydro pedal assy. slip yoke and maybe a drive shaft. He could not find the clutch fork or slave but maybe will by the time I get there to pick it up?

I was also looking at the Advance Adaptor's gear splitter but there is like a month or 2 wait for them to build the units and I don't want to wait that long. Beside I was going to get it before the banker found out and ask for forgiveness  but that's not going to happen ... right now LOL
Dave ----

salans7 wrote

If you need any pictures of the harnesses let me know, my dash pad isn't screwed down so I can pull it off pretty easily (it's in poor shape so no risk of damage). My 12/79 truck had the connectors on the main dash bar behind the HVAC controls, so I'm sure yours does too.

I think mine is also in the same area from what I remember when working on the dash assy.
I just don't want to pull apart a lot because you stand a chance of breaking stuff.
Thanks for the offer.
Dave ----